Bruce Dickinson Will Pilot a Jumbo Jet for Iron Maiden’s World Tour

When Iron Maiden releases their new studio album, The Book of Souls, on September 4th they won’t just be hitting the road to promote the release. Like true rock stars, the heavy metal band will traverse the globe in style, in a 747-400 jumbo jet, visiting 35 countries on six continents.

Vocalist Bruce Dickinson will captain and pilot the four-engine jet, dubbed Ed Force One. The plane is large enough to carry the band and crew, stage production and all of the equipment for the tour.

“Even though we have worked out the logistics of taking a plane of that immense size out on tour, I still have to learn to fly it before we can go anywhere,” said Bruce Dickinson in a statement. “So, I’m currently doing my training to qualify as a pilot and Captain on a Boeing 747. I’m doing this at Cardiff Aviation, my aircraft maintenance facility in Wales, where we recently took possession of a rather splendid 747 simulator which I can’t wait to get practising on!”

Tour dates for The Book of Souls World Tour are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The band will start in the U.S. in late February 2016 before heading to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, and finally throughout Europe.

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